Interhoër 2023

Hoërskool Nelspruit het vir die 58ste agtereenvolgende keer die gesogte spantrofee verower. Ashley Erasmus het haar beste vir haar laaste Laeveld-inter gebêre. Met ‘n fenomenale 17,01 m in gewigstoot dogters 19, herskryf sy die rekordboeke. Hierdie prestasie (die volle 1 000 ASA-punte werd) verbeter nie alleenlik net die interhoër-, provinsiale en Nellie-rekord nie, maar maak Ashley ook die tweede beste in die land se atletiekgeskiedenis.
Net Miné de Klerk, die huidige wêreldkampioen vir dogters 19, kon ‘n beter afstand haal. Ashley se 50,16 m in skyfwerp is eweneens ‘n nuwe interhoërrekord wat sekerlik vir baie jare nog ongeskonde op atletiekprogramme sal pryk.

Die hoë standaard wat NHS se atlete deurgaans gehandhaaf het, word bewys deur die feit dat een, Lana Theron, dogters 14, vier, en nog agt atlete drie eerste plekke behaal het. Laasgenoemde groep bestaan uit Kian Mouton, Aldo van Jaarsveld, Robroy MacGregor, Sheba Sithole, Ashley, Simoné Lourens, Cherike Boshoff en Angelica Graham. ‘n Verdere groep van agt atlete spog met twee goue medaljes elk. Dit gebeur ook nie sommer dat ‘n atleet daarin slaag om by die interhoër die 100 m, 200 m én 400 m in te palm nie – en drie van NHS se dogters het dit vermag – Lana, Cherike en Angelica.

Om net een (van talle) voorbeelde van Nellie guts uit te sonder, verdien Livy Owen beslis spesiale vermelding. In die 100m hekkies vir dogters 19 was Rob Ferreira se Erin Merensky die groot gunsteling om met goud weg te stap. Livy byt egter die stang stewig vas, bly gefokus op haar eie wedloop en wen goud deur haar persoonlike beste tyd met ‘n puik 15,66 sek. te verpletter. Erin se tyd was 15,87 sek., self ‘n goeie prestasie.

Met ’n doelgerigte intensiteit wat almal verras het, het Hoërskool Lydenburg (LHS) die BUCO Laeveld Interhoër met mening aangepak. Die tradisionele opposisie tussen die hoërskole, Nelspruit en Rob Ferreira, moes vanjaar met ‘n derde deelnemer rekening hou, en dit was LHS. LHS het homself as die gasheer oortref. Met die aanbreek van die groot dag was Michelle Boshoff nie ‘n grassie uit sy plek uit nie. Lydenburg se tema was “superhelde”.

’n Tekenprent is spesiaal vir die interhoër geskep en is op materiaal gedruk vir die beamptes en dirigente se klere. Dis veral LHS se dogtersatlete wat die Nellies gedwing het om na ’n hoër rat oor te skakel, en die gevoel van ’n moontlike opskudding op die telbord het vir groot opwinding gesorg. Ntiyiso Nkayane (o. 19) van LHS het uitgeblink en is as die senior victor ludorum aangewys met ’n allemintige 2 484 ASA-tabelpunte agter sy naam.
Dié jong man se toekennings het nie net daar gestop nie. Hy is ook as die beste baanatleet van die dag aangewys, asook die beste seunshekkiesatleet vir sy skitterende vertoning in die 400 mhekkiesitem.

Hy het sy wedloop met ‘n rekordtyd van 53,05 sek. voltooi. LHS spog ook met die beste dogtersverspringatleet, Thsepi Mokwena. Altesaam het die skool 96 medaljes ingepalm met 33 derdeplek-podiumposisies, 34 silwer en 29 goues. Die gasheerskool het vriend en vyand verras toe hy aan die einde van die byeenkoms tydens die aflositems opslae gemaak het. Hier het hulle uit die nege items, vir seuns en dogters onderskeidelik, in sewe van die wedlope plekke behaal.

LHS het dit ook reggekry om hulle teenstanders in die dogters en seuns o. 16 sowel as dogters o. 17 ore aan te sit deur eerste plekke te behaal. LHS se dirigente het hulle uitstekend van hul taak gekwyt en het nie vir een oomblik gelyk of hulle spoed verloor nie. Die groep se pogings het nie ongesiens verbygegaan nie, en hulle het met die Wing-it beker vir hul onvoorbereide liedjies uit die stryd getree. Hanco Barnard is ook as die beste dirigent van die dag aangewys, en het die Lekkerbekbeker ontvang.

An age-old rivalry between second and third is one in which Hoërskool Rob Ferreira has contested for 29 years. Since 1978, with the exception of 2004 when Bergvlam hosted the Interhigh and took third place, Lydenburg has been breathing down their necks, ready to pounce. They were able to succeed 10 times, but their second-place victory became a faint smell after 2016.

This year, however, Lydenburg fired on all cylinders, and Rob Ferreira will have to wait until 2024 for the spot they seek to regain. “Sometimes by losing a battle, you find a new way to win the war,” said Stefan van der Merwe, Rob Ferreira’s sport organiser. He said he is still proud of the high standard the athletes maintained throughout the day. Erin Merensky, to mention one stand-out performance, bagged four medals in the four items in which she took part, and took the title of best girls 19 athlete in triple jump. She won gold in long jump with a distance of 4.94m and in triple jump, 10.51m. In the 100m hurdles, she won silver with a time of 15.87, and bronze in the 200m sprints when she crossed the finish line in 28.38.

It was truly a battle of the finest in the 19 high jump between Shanese de Clerck, current 19 SA women’s champ, and Rob’s Caitlin Dehrmann. Caitlin took the spoils by clearing a height of 1.65m, earning gold. Cloe Mabitla won gold in the girls 17 shotput and was also the block 7 winner with her distance of 11.52m.

Sihle Mhkatswa (boys) won gold in the 100m and 200m with respective times of 11.22 and 23.22. Sethu Mathebula (girls 15) was the best high jump athlete with a height of 1.6m. Tintswalo Khoza won gold in high jump (girls 17), and bronze in 100m (13.79) and long jump (4.3m). Princely Mahngana (boys 15) won gold in
the 800m with a time of 02:06.22, as well as the 1 500m in 04:36.50. Matimba Mndawe (boys 15) won gold in the 100m and 200m sprints with  respective times of 11.47 and 24.03. He also won bronze in the 400m with a time of 56.37.

Gabriel Kunene (boys 19) won silver in the 100m and 400m sprints in 10.90 and 51.38 respectively, and won gold in the 200m with a time 22.10. Banele Sithole (boys 14) won gold in the 100m with a time of 11.91 and silver in the 200m in 25.68. Rob Ferreira will be hosting this event
in 2025.

Meeste van die atlete wat aan die BUCO Laeveld Interhoër deelneem, pak jaar na jaar die pad na die byeenkoms aan, wetende dat dit nie maklik gaan wees nie, maar dat hulle definitief hul bes sal probeer. Hoërskool Barberton was een van daardie einste skole by vanjaar se interhoër.

Dié skool se atlete het altesaam sewe keer ’n draai op die podium gaan maak, en Ntsako Maile sommer twee keer. Hy het in beide die skyfwerp en gewigstoot uitgeblink met afstande van onderskeidelik 31,88 m en 12,25 m. Dit het hom twee derde plekke besorg. Nóg brons medaljes is deur Nalizeri Pretorius (dogters 16-skyfwerp) en Karabo Ndwane (dogters 17 100 mhekkies) ingepalm. Wynand Ekkerd (seuns 15-gewigstoot), en Jaqueline Maholo (dogters 14 skyfwerp) het tweede plekke in hul items behaal.

Die uitblinker vir dié skool was die langafstandatleet, Shaun Msithini, wie se lang asem hom goud in die seuns 16 1 500 m-wedloop besorg het, sowel as ’n silwer medalje vir sy skool in die 800 m-wedloop van dieselfde ouderdomsgroep. Buiten die podiumprestasies kan Barberton ook geprys word vir sy uithouvermoë op die baan. Ongeag WAT sy atlete in die resies bereik het, het hulle het tot die einde volhard.

Hoërskool Barberton het ook daarin geslaag om die splinternuwe toekenning by vanjaar se interhoër, die nuwe Lerata-beker, huis toe te neem. Dié beker gaan aan die skool wat die grootste lawaai kan maak. Barberton is die skool wat die meeste kilometers afgelê het om die interhoër by te woon. Aanstaande jaar pak die ander ses deelnemende skole dié einste pad Barberton toe aan vir die BUCO Laeveld Interhoër 2024.

Penryn College’s cheerleaders opened the show at the BUCO Lowveld Interhigh in Lydenburg on Saturday with some flips and splits. Penryn’s athletes went to the interhigh with one clear goal in mind; to defend the percentage trophy they won last year. With stiff competition from the likes of Hoërskool Nelspruit and Hoërskool Rob Ferreira, podium positions were definitely going to be a hefty task.

However, eight of the school’s athletes managed to rake in medals for their team. It was especially in the high- and long jump items in which the athletes made a name for themselves. Diandra Mondlane claimed a bronze medal in the girls’ 14 long jump, while Muzi Chirwa stepped on to the third step of the podium for his attempt in the boys’ 17 long jump.

Two more bronze medals came through the likes of Jason Masango, when he ended third in the boys’ 15 high jump and Siphesihle Nxumalo in the girls’ 14 javelin. It was Siphesihle Nkundlane who secured Penryn’s first silver medal when he sailed over the high jump bar at a height of 1.70m. Tlangelani Ndlovu also managed a second-place podium position with a great effort of 4.63m in the girls 19 long jump.

Nolwazi Mlangeni shone for her school with the javelin in hand and threw a tremendous 30.28m to end her last Interhigh on a high note. Nolwazi took home the silver medal for the girls’ 19, Zethembe Sibanyoni. Lomhlangano Gama. ending only four metres shy of her counterpart from Hoërskool Nelspruit, Ashley Erasmus. In the 400m event for girls 16, Lys
Banza proved that she is not only a force to be reckoned with in the swimming pool, but also on the athletics track. She claimed top spot and snatched up her school’s first and only gold medal.

Though they might be one of the smaller schools participating in the event each year, their totally stood on 611, nearly double in relation to the number of learners they have. This means that Penryn succeeded in their task, successfully defending their percentage trophy.

Lowveld High School’s (LHS) athletes finished seventh at the 2023 BUCO Lowveld Interhigh. Yulin Chabe dominated the boys 19 triple jump, winning gold for LHS with a hop, step and jump of 13.77m. His effort was 25cm further than the second-placed Siya Fakude of Hoërskool Lydenburg.

The LHS star was the best triple jump boy athlete at the meet. Yulin also won bronze in the long jump with 6.03m. Adalph Morgan was in a class of his own in the boys 19 high jump. He won the gold medal with a superb personal best jump of 1.90m, 10cm higher than the silver medallist Dylan Blignaut of Hoërskool Lydenburg.

Adalph’s remarkable mental and physical effort earned him 710 ASA points. Sfiso Manana pushed his body to the limit to win the boys 17 3 000m. His goldmedal winning time was 09:57:25, beating secondplace Reinhardt Coetzee of Hoërskool Nelspruit by 19 seconds. Sfiso’s performance earned him 756 ASA points and he was the best boy middle distance athlete of Interhigh 2023.

Hoërskool Bergvlam’s athletes were smoking hot at the BUCO Lowveld Interhigh on Saturday. The Vlammies finished fourth overall with a total of 844 points. Milde Cronjé showed her mental and physical toughness to beat Zoe Scheepers (silver) and Sophia Clark (bronze) of Hoërskool Nelspruit to win the girls 17 800m. Her winning time was 02:40:28.

Milde went on to win the silver medal in the 200m in a time of 28.87. Her third medal came in the 400m in which she clocked 01:05:57 to claim third place. Bergvlam was announced the school with the best continuous discipline after the meet.